Introduction

The switch statement in Java allows you to execute one out of multiple possible blocks of code based on the value of a given expression. It is often used to simplify complex if-else conditions.

Syntax of the Switch Statement

switch (expression) {
  case value1:
    // code to be executed if expression == value1
    break;
  case value2:
    // code to be executed if expression == value2
    break;
  // more cases...
  default:
    // code to be executed if expression doesn't match any case
}
      

Key Points:

• The expression in a switch statement can be an integer, character, byte, or string (since Java 7).
• The case labels must be unique.
• If no break statement is used, execution will "fall through" to the next case.
• The default case is optional and executed if no matching case is found.

Examples of the Switch Statement

1. Basic Example

int day = 3;
String dayName;
switch (day) {
  case 1:
    dayName = "Monday";
    break;
  case 2:
    dayName = "Tuesday";
    break;
  case 3:
    dayName = "Wednesday";
    break;
  case 4:
    dayName = "Thursday";
    break;
  case 5:
    dayName = "Friday";
    break;
  case 6:
    dayName = "Saturday";
    break;
  case 7:
    dayName = "Sunday";
    break;
  default:
    dayName = "Invalid day";
}
System.out.println(dayName);
      

Output:

Wednesday

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